


Purple Smoke

by fake_gucci



Category: The Originals (TV), The Vampire Diaries (TV)
Genre: Alive Kol Mikaelson, Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamics, Alpha/Omega, Alternate Universe - Historical, Alternate Universe - Royalty, Consensual Possession, Dom/sub Undertones, F/M, Healthy Relationships, Light Dom/sub, Love at First Sight, M/M, Mating Cycles/In Heat, Not Canon Compliant, Original Character(s), Original Character-centric, Original Female Character(s) - Freeform, POV Original Female Character, Pack Politics, Political Alliances, Politics, Possessive Behavior, Possessive Klaus Mikaelson, Protective Elijah Mikaelson, Protective Klaus Mikaelson, Protective Rebekah Mikaelson, True Love, klaus/original female character - Freeform
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-04-12
Updated: 2020-07-31
Packaged: 2021-03-01 21:13:46
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 10,589
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23603608
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/fake_gucci/pseuds/fake_gucci
Summary: Love is often like smoke, vanishing just as soon as it's put out in the world. Maybe love is flimsy. Perhaps I'm being arrogant, but my status shouldn't dictate the love I contribute, and ultimately I believe I can support the love of my life. Sure we weren't a political match like everyone else, and maybe love doesn't always win in the end, but I can be sure that the empire has never seen anything quite like ours. So, even if we die trying to make our world a better place, at least we've guaranteed a better future for our people.
Relationships: Hayley Marshall/Elijah Mikaelson, Klaus Mikaelson/Original Female Character(s)
Kudos: 8





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> So I wrote this a while ago, I don't have an outline or anything and this is the first time I'm writing anything for this fandom. I used to write a lot of fanfic a few years ago for the PJO fandom on fanfic.net but I didn't want to continue that so I've come back to this multi-fandom account. Anyways, I have a lot of time with shelter in place so I guess you can expect updates, maybe not to this particular story but there will be relatively frequent updates in general for various plot bunnies I've had float around.

I sat on the velvet lounge chair next to a boy and an older man, my father in law. They were smoking, puffy purple smoke billowed out of their mouths. My father in law took a pause from his smoke, ”You know you’re a fine young man if you’re looking for a mate,” 

He gazed in my direction and trailed off. The young man looked at me, gears turning in his head. He seemed like he wanted to say something, maybe comply. I had been sitting with them for some time now, waiting for Klaus to appear seeing as he was expected to arrive this evening. And for the time I had been on this chair, I had been subtly berated in every way. Perhaps because I am an omega or perhaps because Klaus was not as respected by his father as he should be. My anger and frustrations had been building up just as steadily as the cigarette smoke had been filling the room. This was too much, “I already have a mate! I can’t believe...” 

The look on my father in law’s face was enough, I stood up and left, leaving the cigarette smoke behind. The ruffles in my dress flowed around my legs as I all but ran up the red-carpeted stairs. I swing the door open, hiding my tears as best as possible from the beta guards who will, no doubt, report back to the palace healer. The door slams against the wall, startling Klaus. He jumps, pulling out a long dagger with the new bottle of blackberry cordial I had bought recently in his other hand. 

“Klaus! You’re back,” I smile at him, eyes teary and hands fisting the skirt of my dress. The dagger falls out of his hand and on the rug below as his hand relaxes. The bottle of cordial goes back on the vanity from where he had picked it up, “Oh Hanin, you startled me,” he sighs, “I’m so used to being on the road I thought you were a robber,” he laughs and rubs his forehead. 

“I want you to sleep with me tonight,” I whisper. The tears are freely flowing down my cheeks and my throat is choked up from the conversation with my father in law and the other man. 

“What’s wrong? What’s happened my love?” There’s no question that he can smell my anxiety and frustration. Klaus strides over to me and settles his arms around me, hugging me tightly. Almost too tight, it’s been three weeks since I’ve seen him. 

“Nothing,” I manage to choke out, “...nothing happened. I just-“ 

“Why are you crying then Hanin?” His eyes softened, “I sleep with you every night.”

He says quietly. My eyes are burning, and my head is starting to feel heavy. It’s as if someone has taken wads of cotton and stuffed them through my ears. 

“Your father...he said,” a sob racks its way through me, “he asked another man if-”  
I can’t breathe, the tears are stuck in my throat and I can’t bear to say much more, “he asked if another man would mate me...I left”

Klaus buries his head in the crook between my head and shoulder. He takes a deep breath and pulls me closer to him, closer than I thought possible. “Oh Hanin,” his voice is a couple of octaves deeper, raspy with the cold he has no doubt picked up from travel, ”I missed you. You know my father doesn’t care much for me, his bastard born son. Everyone looks to Elijah, he was born to be an emperor.”

Klaus wipes the tears from my face and pulls me over to bed. He begins to pull the pins out of my hair, gently, one by one and sets them in a small pile on the bedside table. “But I much prefer not having those expectations, no one is watching me, and I can do as I please. Travel as I please. I am given my own land and accounts to spend. And I can care for you. I’m sorry, Hanin, that my father said those things to you. I will speak with him.”  
Klaus cards his fingers through my hair. I can see that he is trying not to show the anger that is bubbling under his skin. “I will take you from here as soon as possible. Our estate is almost complete, I’ll need to make one more trip before we can move there for good.” 

He has wiped my face clean and taken my shoes off. I can smell his rage. “I will bring your nightgown and we can talk some more before bed my dear Mercy.” 

Klaus tips my head back, his fingertips under my chin, “I’ve really missed you Hanin.” 

I watch him go to my armoire and pull out my favorite nightgown. The one I wore when I had slept with him for the first time after we had mated. We didn’t know each other then, he had found my scent while going through town looking for a small box to put perfume in. I had been out looking for tea with my servants trailing behind. 

Klaus begins to unravel the knots keeping my dress in place and has me stand so that he can pull it off. He lays the dress to the side and continues until he can slip the nightgown on my bare skin. The cool silk raises goosebumps and hugs my body, I sit back down on the bed as he turns back to the armoire to put the dress and other pieces of clothing away. Normally I would have my servants undress me for sleep, but today Klaus knows I can’t handle the presence of other people. Their scents would be overwhelming and I would have a full blown panic attack. So today he does it for me. Klaus is already dressed for bed. He walks around to his side and settles himself in. “Come here.”

I twist my head so that I can see him, my eyes are no doubt red and puffy by this point. My eyelids feel sticky. I’m trying to breathe deeply as if doing so will push the anxiety and frustration out of my body. He has pulled back the comforter so that I can sleep as close to him as possible. “Okay” 

I don’t feel like talking. I just want to be with him. I just want to feel him, to be enveloped in the combination of his scent and the perfume he has put on. “Do you want to tell me anything else or do you want to sleep and we can talk in the morning?”

I can feel him looking at me, my head is on his chest, his heartbeat echoes through my skull. “We can talk tomorrow alpha.”


	2. Chapter 2

Sunlight streams through the cracks where the curtain hadn’t been pulled all the way shut. I feel to the side, I must have moved away from Klaus during the night. I sit up. Klaus is not in the bed. I have woken up to an empty bed. I can feel the tears starting to well up again as my chest. My throat starts to constrict. Just as I move to start getting out of bed the door swings open. “I’m sorry, it’s quite early so I thought you would still be asleep before I came back. I just went to the kitchens for some food, I know you wouldn’t want anyone here right now.”

A smile breaks out on my face, I sniff trying to fight the leftover tears and congested nose that I’ve had since my breakdown last night. “That’s fine, I just, I thought you left…”

He frowns at me, the three plates he’s balancing are set down on the dresser while he goes to get the small fold out table meant for eating on the bed. “We’ve talked about this love,” He unfolds the table and puts it over my crossed legs, “I wouldn’t ever leave you, I know that you’ve had some terrible experiences but I won’t do that to you. We’re mated, I couldn’t leave you even if I wanted. I can only bear to go on those trips to fix up our estate because my wolf knows that I’m going for you. To provide for you.” 

Klaus places each plate on the table one at a time and sits in front of me picking at a chocolate croissant. “Do you want to go to the bathroom before you eat? I assumed you’d already gone since I saw you up, but it seems like you’ve just woken up.”

He interrupts me, seeing my immediate hesitance to answer, “Don’t worry, I’ll wait for you,” his eyes crinkle as he smiles at me. 

I pull my hair back as before I get out of bed, carefully maneuvering my legs out from under the small table so I don’t jostle it. I pad my way to the attached bathroom. We have one of the larger suites in the royal family’s main home, and the bathroom mirrors that. I splash some water on my face after brushing my teeth and hair. I’ve tied my hair back so it doesn’t get in my mouth while we eat. I pat my face dry before going back into the room. The cool marble used to tile the bathroom is a little too cold against my bare feet. My face is still a little puffy from last night. I open that bathroom door to walk back into the bedroom. Someone has come in the room, I can smell the remnants of their scent. I look to Klaus who now has set two cups of steaming tea next to the breakfast plates. The windows are open in a futile effort to air out the stuffiness of the room as well as the servant who must have come through while I was in the bathroom. Klaus turns to me apologetically, “Sorry, I tried to keep her outside but the servant insisted. I opened the windows but, I’m not sure how much that will help.”

Whenever omegas are threatened in some way, they become hyper sensitive. After being mated to Klaus for three years, he’s picked up exactly what it is that I have problems with, and I have picked up what bothers him. We had driven each other crazy in the beginning. “Don’t just stand there love, come here. Let me scent you, and then we can eat. We’ve even gotten jasmine tea, that will calm you down and then we can talk about anything you need to.”  
The breeze from outside wafts in the smell of lavender and roses from the gardens that sprawls before the royal family’s wing of the palace. The nobles are given a view of the mountains from their rooms. As I get closer to Klaus the smell of fir trees and fresh rain becomes prominent. My nightgown does little to dampen my own scent. Klaus has told me that I smell like oranges and cardamom. An unusual combination. I stand before Klaus, presenting myself to my alpha. Gaze lowered and my head tilted slightly to give access to my neck. It seems that Klaus had other ideas because he caresses my cheek and tilts my head back and up so that I can look him in the eyes. He leans down to kiss me. “We’ll get to that in a little bit Hanin, let me just have a taste of dessert before breakfast.”

His lips are chapped and I can taste the tea that he had started sipping on while I was in the bathroom. One of his hands wanders down to hold me by the waist while the other pulls my hair tie out. He moves down to my neck to start scenting me, so much so that everyone will know I had been with my alpha recently. His hand is tangled in my hair, pulling it away from the side of my neck that he’s working on. He sinks in his teeth to mark me, right on top of his original mating bite. I whine at him, wanting to reciprocate. He licks the blood away, sealing the wound on my neck and picks me up so that my head will be level with his neck. He peppers kisses on me while I scent him so that my scent almost overpowers his. I reclaim him and the scarlet of his blood stains my lips and I finally feel calm. Klaus’ adam’s apple bobs as he swallows, “The tea is getting cold.” 

“I love you, Klaus,” he inhales sharply at the declaration. Three years later and he’s still not used to it. “Could you put me down so I can get back in bed? I’m hungry.”

“I love you too Hanin.” He lets out a sigh and sets me back down. He watches me get back in bed before he follows to sit in front of me again. A bite has been taken out of the chocolate croissant, and only half of the tea in Klaus’ cup remains. “I thought you said you’d wait for me,” I tease him, waiting for his reaction. He smirks at me, “Ah well, you took so long in the bathroom and I was hungry, I thought some tea and bite wouldn’t hurt.”

There’s an omelet in one plate which is most definitely not for me because Klaus knows that I dislike eggs. On the last plate, there’s a small fruit tart and some porridge with cinnamon sprinkled on top. Klaus has started eating, picking apart the omelet into bite-sized pieces with the fork and knife that had been placed with his breakfast. Klaus pauses and the room is suddenly silent except for the sound of birds from the open windows, “I know I’m handsome but will you please start eating, I know you haven’t eaten since lunch yesterday.”

He watches me pick up my spoon as I’m brought back to reality by his voice. The porridge is still warm, and there isn’t any steam coming from the tea but it hasn’t yet reached room temperature. We continue eating in silence. The clinking of the metal utensils is occasionally interrupted when either of us stops to sip tea or the unusually loud squawking of a very territorial bird in the tree by one of our windows. Soon enough I’ve hit the bottom of my bowl and Klaus has set down his fork and knife. I begin to stand to make my way to my armoire but Klaus grabs onto my arm “We need to talk love, you can change after.” 

He knows that I’m stalling. I don’t like to talk about these things, I like to be independent and more often than not I can take care of myself quite well. I don’t like to be weak, but in an alpha’s world, that’s all I’ll ever be. “No, I want to change now. I’ve been in this gown for too long.”  
He growls quietly at my blatant disobedience, “You’ll need help lacing up the back of your dress anyway, and I know you still do not feel comfortable with any of the servants coming and going until at least tomorrow when I’ve saturated you in my scent. So I want you to go to the office and make yourself at home on one of the chaise lounges until I come to meet you. You can change after we talk. If you are cold you know there are plenty of blankets in the office, pick one up and use it.” 

I can tell that Klaus has tried to put this off for as long as he can bear, he leads me out of the bedroom with his hand settled on my lower back to the door by my armoire heading into the office and library portion of our suite. He watches me settle on one of the chaise lounges pulling a plush purple blanket from the large chest that sits by the stairs that wind up to the library. There are more windows in the office, making it much cooler than the bedroom. My nightgown is quite flimsy and does nothing against the early spring breeze, wet with the promise of rain. He lays the blanket over me, “I’m going to set our dishes outside and be right back okay love?”

He turns his back and leaves the office door open as he goes back to the bed to pile the plates on top of each other, the silver utensils glisten on top reflecting the sunlight coming through the windows. The mugs are placed precariously on top of the plates. Klaus walks out of my sight from the office as he strides to the bedroom door to hand the dishes to one of the guards outside. I can hear him murmuring something akin to a thank you before Klaus shuts the door again. He walks back to the bed to pick up the small table and fold it flat. He puts it under the small breakfast table that we have by the window closest to the bed before walking back through the office doors to sit on one of the overstuffed winged chairs that’s in front of my chaise lounge. He crosses his right leg over his left as he leans back rubbing the bridge of his nose with his forefinger and thumb. Klaus looks at me expectantly, waiting for me to explain exactly what had caused me so much anxiety the previous night. I bunch the blanket in my hands pulling it closer to my chest as I avoid his piercing gaze, “You’d been gone longer than you normally are. I was already on edge, your scent was fading and becoming stale. I couldn’t smell you on the bed anymore. I know you told me you’d be gone for three weeks but I didn’t fully realize it until last week. Elijah’s mate tried to comfort me as much as she could. But the nobles’ omegas were just as terrible as their alphas.”

I pause to look into Klaus’ eyes, trying to gauge what he was thinking. He knew that his absences were hard on me. “I know that you leave for me, so that we may get away from here for some parts of the year in the coming future, and that was my only solace while you were gone. The other nobles began to leer at me, I’m sure they could smell that your scent had faded, many are looking for a second omega to keep them entertained at their summer homes, and I suppose they feel a purebred alpha’s mate would do nicely.” 

I am interrupted by the pungent aroma of anger and Klaus’ face twists into what I can only describe as the desire to dominate. “Only after I noticed their gaze did I start nesting in our rooms, trying to find any article of clothing that had any strong remnant of your scent. The library is full of cushions, blankets, and any of your clothes that you left behind. This blanket is the only one that I left because I’m the only one who uses it. I only came out last night to sit with your father and the young alpha who held his audience last night because he requested that I be there. I couldn’t refuse a direct letter, so I went. I knew that you would be back as well, so I tried to wait for your appearance so that you could take me from your father. But I sat there for two hours with your father constantly berating me as subtly as possible for being weak, for being an omega. For being your omega. I sat there until I couldn’t stand the disrespect that he—” 

I am cut off as Klaus drops to his knees in front of me so that I don’t have to crane my neck to look up at him. He holds my face in his hands, and I am struck by the thought I do not know of any alpha who lowers himself before his omegan partner and my face breaks into a smile washing away the solemn atmosphere. Or so I thought, “Forgive me,” his voice cracks, eyes watery and he barely chokes out his next statement. “Forgive me my dear Mercy, I should have taken you with me as you had requested. Instead I was overcome with stubbornness and insisted that you stay behind. I will not do it again, I will always bring you along should you so wish.”

He was indeed, correct. I had begged him to take me along and he had ordered me to stay behind. The entire royal family was purebred, so their orders were always more potent. However, I was also purebred. Almost uncommon outside of nobility. But my family is rather fortunate and owns several well off trade companies. We were always comfortable, so it wasn’t unheard of. A purebred alpha’s direct orders always brought a purebred omega to their knees in absolute submission. I couldn’t disobey even if it was my deepest desire. The roads were unsafe, he had claimed. It was a risk every time he went and he didn’t want to put me in any danger until they had been secured. 

“I don’t mean to make you feel guilty Klaus, but some version of this has happened every time you have left me here alone. I have never been this panicked because you have always hurried back, and because your scent has never gone stale while you were away. Other alphas have always had a constant reminder that I am claimed until last week.” I pull his head to my chest and his hands drop to my waist. The blanket has pooled in my lap and my nightgown has ridden up to my upper thighs leaving my legs almost fully bare. I hold Klaus’ head in my arms as he inhales and exhales as deeply as possible to calm down. I comb my fingers through his hair while he tries his hardest not to leave me on the couch while he confronts every alpha who had contemplated competing with his claim on me. “I forgive you alpha.”

He inhales shakily, and I try to release as many calming pheromones as I can without it being overwhelming. I glance out the open window, it is afternoon now. We will be getting summons for the late lunch the royal family has on Saturdays within the next couple of hours. I look back to Klaus, I press a kiss to the top of his head. “Help me get dressed love, we will need to get ready for lunch and I want to go for a walk in the gardens before then. It’s quite nice outside. You can bring that blackberry cordial as well.” 

He raises his head, his mouth opens to say something but I cut him off before he can continue, “I said that I forgive you. I forgive you for leaving me here, for ordering me to stay here and using your status to push me into what you wanted without considering my perspective. We would be having a fully blown argument right now had you not decided to interrupt me to ask for forgiveness. Now help me get up before I change my mind”  
He smiles before standing and scooping me off the lounge chair. I squeal as I am pulled up having to adjust the major height difference between the low chair and the full height of my mate. My nightgown rides up even further and the baby blue of my silk panties is revealed, Klaus’ arms holding my bare legs and he carries me bridal style back to the bedroom. “What do you want to wear today?”


	3. Chapter 3

Klaus had helped me change into a dress he’d ordered to be made for me several weeks ago. I was going to wear it much earlier but I didn’t think it was appropriate if I wore it while he was gone. It was a beautiful piece with golden birds embroidered along with the silver branches of a tree that made up the skirt. It was heavy with detail but the cool satin of the bodice felt soothingly cool against my skin. 

“What are you thinking about love?” Klaus already had one hand entwined with me, he stops walking to move in front of me, snaking his other arm around my waist. I haven’t been with him in so long that it feels almost dreamlike, each new touch sending sparks across my skin, heating me like fire. I look up at him, “Nothing important. Just how I’ve missed you, and this,” my eyes flit across his face, letting him know the implications of my words. 

His eyes are light as his mouth bends into a smile. He lets out a small chuckle, “Yes, I’ve missed this too little one.” 

Klaus begins to lean down for a kiss but we are interrupted, “Brother! When the guards mentioned you had recently left your rooms, I was sure you’d be here, seeing as this is your omega’s favorite place on the grounds. I was going to ask you to my rooms before lunch, unusual coming myself I know. But I haven’t seen you in some time...ahh am I interrupting something?” 

I can hear the smile in his voice. Klaus and his elder brother Elijah have a strong bond between them as brothers no matter how much their father detests Klaus. There isn’t much their father can do now in terms of disowning Klaus as Elijah’s coronation is in two months. 

“Not at all Elijah, we were just heading back to the palace. I am sorry that I was not able to come to you earlier but it seemed that my omega was quite distressed, I decided to stay in my rooms until everything was settled. This little one begged for a walk before lunch and who am I to deny such an innocent wish.” 

My cheeks burn as a knowing look passes between the two brothers. Klaus turns me around carefully so that we may start walking back. Klaus has positioned me in front of him, while Klaus and his brother walk side by side behind me. They are no doubt discussing Klaus’ absence and its effect on me. I try to drown it out as much as possible, paying attention to the flowers on our way back. 

We are at the gates to enter back in. The wind has picked up slightly and the scent of rain is ever so present. Klaus has placed his hand around my waist again and the heavy presence pulls me back to reality. The only noise is the clicking of our shoes on the stone floor, it echoes, the sound bouncing off of the walls. Elijah nods to the guards flanking the large wooden doors leading to his suite. The doors open as we enter and are shut behind us with a loud, echoing slam. 

\---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The term omega is used in several ways, the two most popular being a reference to a biological omega, but also a reference to a position in a relationship. While I am a biological and bred omega, Hayley is not. Hayley is an omega through relation dynamics. Her kingdom had peaked long ago, so in a rather successful attempt to bring honor back to her territory, her family sought out a rather strategic pairing. Elijah and Hayley were more friends than lovers, and while Hayley was a biological alpha, she was a situational omega, as her relationship with Elijah was such that he was providing for her. Many nations used similar political relationships to keep strength and pride in their territories. Their relationship dynamics were quite different than mine and Klaus’ relationship, but that is to be expected with the difference in biological dynamics. 

“How have you been Hanin? I haven’t seen you in days,” Hayley settled onto the brown leather loveseat across from me. “I know Mikael has been particularly difficult lately, we’ve been thinking it’s time to have him step down. His mental faculties are deteriorating daily, and it’s really quite appalling how he’s been treating you of late.”

Although the brothers did try to keep family politics out of my range of hearing, knowing it would keep me up at night, I often heard them anyway. My lineage was known for our good hearing among other things, and Klaus felt it was a good trait to have. He’d smile at me when I’d look at him knowingly after he’d usher his brothers out of the office and out our suite doors. It had been discussed that with Mikael’s continued deterioration and increased paranoia, that he’d have to be moved off the throne. The blatant talk of treason and regicide was a good enough reason to keep talks as contained as possible, and it was understandable why the meetings were held with closed doors. If only to make it as easy as possible for me to deny any and all knowledge of such meetings should I be questioned. This was extremely likely with Mikael’s constant suspicion of Klaus, and by extension, me. “It’s understandable, I suppose. I just want to leave here if I’m completely honest, but with the way things are going, it doesn’t seem like Klaus and I are going to be leaving any time soon.”

Hayley smiled, eyes showing the sympathy she held for me. Elijah often brought her to Klaus’ meetings, as did many of the others with biological alpha and beta mates. It made sense, as many situational omegas in the family were from major bloodlines outside of our own territories, and were leaders in their own right. They deserved to know how they must adapt in the future, “I promise you that once Elijah and I take the throne, you will have whatever you desire, peace and comfort especially. I know you say not to thank you and that you’re just doing your duty, but none of this would be possible without you.”

Omegas weren’t rare by any means, but we were less common than alphas and betas. Omegas were even less common in places like court, where strength was favored, and weakness looked down upon. An omega had no place in court, where many romantic pairs were strategic rather than fated. In fact, the palace help had a higher population of omegas than the entire court, unusual, because omegas are prized everywhere outside of the leadership. Because of this, I often felt out of place and scrutinized, hence the estate Klaus was fixing up for us to escape to four or five months out of the year. Since mating with Klaus, I often found myself in the kitchens and the stables, chatting with the servants and stable keepers. I felt more at home with them than I did with the nobles. Although Klaus’s brothers and their mates did much to keep me safe, it was my relationships with the vast network of help that the palace utilized became incredibly useful. Often used to plan meetings in times that the brothers weren’t required to be anywhere important. Schedules were important and had to be kept if we wanted our involvement in such treasonous talks to be inconspicuous. The servants heard things that we never could, and with a little nudging, they would tell me what they heard. This made it so that I got news of possible discovery before it was inescapable. “I am simply doing my part in our attempt for a better and more stable reign. I just want all of this to be over. I want to feel safe in my own home, Hayley, and Mikael’s constant attempts to kill me or mate me to another man are beginning to have quite serious implications. Besides, much of the palace still aligns with Mikael, really it’s only Klaus and his brothers who are willing to depose Mikael and place Elijah on the throne.” 

Honestly, I wasn’t sure how we were supposed to accomplish getting rid of Mikael without causing an uproar, but it wasn’t for me to worry about. Hayley begins to say something but Elijah and Klaus finally walk out of the office to join us in front of the fireplace. Elijah places his hands on Hayley’s shoulders, “I see that you two have caught up. Are you both ready for lunch?” 

Klaus has come to stand next to me, hand stretched out, ready and willing to help me up and escort me to lunch. We make eye contact and his eyes crinkle in happiness as he grasps my hand and pulls me up to his chest. Hayley lets out a laugh from behind me as Klaus buries his head into the crook between my neck and shoulder. “They’re still like a newly mated couple, it’s as if the honeymoon phase never lifted.” 

Elijah and Hayley are by the door now, as Elijah places a hand on the door handle, “Come on you two, we have to go now or we’ll be late. You know how mother gets.”

We are led down the halls by Elijah as Klaus whispers what has been discussed in the last thirty minutes. There is news of a jousting competition that will be held in the next week. “We’ve decided that Kol will take the place of a loyalist noble. Davina and Kol have worked together to ensure that the joust will meet its mark. As you know, jousting can be quite bloody and potentially lethal.”

I let out a gasp, and Klaus immediately places his hand over my mouth to shush me, eyes fully dilated. Elijah and Hayley turn their heads to see what’s shocked me, eyes wide as well. I move Klaus’s hand away from me, “How do you even know that your father will attempt to join the competition? There have been no rumors regarding his participation!” I whisper harshly, not being able to believe that our plan rests on such a precarious combination of events. 

Klaus shakes his head, “No, our father has been implying his participation for weeks now. He’s obsessed with giving the court a show of strength. Just as he’s continually been trying to prepare the army for multiple invasions. We’ve been trying to dissuade him from war, as the army has just gotten back and the kingdom isn’t ready for another war.”

We’ve reached lunch, and a guard opens the door for us. The smell of freshly baked bread and roast chicken wafts through the room. Sunlight streams in from the open windows, warming the wood of the table and lighting the drops of water on the flowers that have been set at intervals among the food. “I suppose we must savor the calm before the storm,” I look up to Klaus and run the pad of my thumb over his cheek, “I hope everything goes as well as you have planned.”


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ahaha I spent a long time reading and watching tv shows and the creative bug has settled in, happy that I've overcome writers block. Even though barely anyone reads this, it's pretty satisfying to write bc abo fics are my FAVE and I can never find the types that I like.

I wake up drenched in sweat, the silk of my nightgown now translucent and stuck to the curves of my silhouette. The covers bunched in the middle of the bed, empty except for me. Empty? Where is Klaus? I shoot up, which causes an immediate shock of pain traveling up my body and it feels like my head will burst. My eyes roam the bedroom, the windows have been thrown open and the birds are leading a noisy coup in the trees outside. The sun is dancing on the walls, and there’s a tray with a cup of tea and a croissant at the small table in the corner. Besides the implication that Klaus had spent the night with me, I can find no other presence of him. I feel...heavy.

I am unsteady on my feet, breath leaving my mouth in short, staccato gasps. Passing the mirror on the way to the bathroom I can see the heavy blush settling on my cheeks and the fly-aways from my braided hair sticking to my forehead. The tea is cold and the croissant has gone hard from exposure to the air. How long have I been asleep? Maybe Klaus is in the study, working away, as usual, I’m sure he didn't want to disturb me. Something feels wrong, I turn the handle on the double doors and I still cannot smell my lover. Even in bed, his scent was stale. There is no one in the study, yet the blankets and furs from our time last night are still spread on the floor and the books from his desk are askew. The study is starting to distress me, and I turn on my heel to step into the bathroom, the cool marble of the floor soaking in the heat from my feet. I practically tear the short nightgown from my body as I turn the faucet on for the bath. I desperately want to cool down, and the fog from sleep has yet to lift from my brain. 

As I settle into the cool water the pain slowly lifts itself from my body, creating a temporary relief from what is now obviously pre heat. Short whines leave me without permission and any image of grace that I had has left me. My eyelids flutter closed as my lashes create soft half-moons on my cheeks. This is not the first time that Klaus has missed my heat, although I had always had a fair warning in advance, and had normally been thoroughly scented beforehand. I hope he has not gone back to the estate, and that he can come immediately to answer my calls through our Bond. 

The water has started to warm and is beginning to become uncomfortable. It’s time to get dressed, it seems it’s quite late in the day, perhaps already past noon. I am upset that Klaus wasn’t in bed with me upon waking and didn’t have the forethought to leave a note to explain his absence, with his sense of smell he should have noticed the signs of heat before me. I dry myself and leave the bathroom to head to my armoire, I need to get dressed and the absence of the maids seems to be intentional. That’s when the door slams open, the stale scent of Klaus suddenly turning fresh. 

“You’re finally awake! And very prepared I see, my love.” Klaus has a half turned smirk adorning his face as he quickly dismisses the guards behind him and shuts the doors to our suite. He catches my eyes in his gaze as he strides towards me to wrap himself around me, one hand reaching up to caress my cheek. The feeling of being completely naked pressed up against his regalia is almost overstimulating. His arm sinks from my waist to my ass, squeezing roughly as he bends down to capture my lips in a heavy kiss. I finally come to my senses, pulling in a sharp breath and shifting my head to the side, breaking the kiss. “Stop I-I don’t want to do this right now. Where were you?”

My hands reach up to his chest to push him back lightly, just enough to signal distance. The back of my knees knocks against the bed as I notice that Klaus has slowly guided me back to bed. Shaking my head I push my hair out of my face as I head back to my armoire to pick out a simple dress. “Help me put this on Klaus, and answer the question.” 

He’s standing, pushed aside, in shock. “Sweetheart, I thought we talked about this last night? I had an early meeting and I’d try and get back to you as soon as I could after.” 

There’s something off about him, even though he seems to be standing right in front of me, my heartbeat races faster and faster. I slip the dress on as he steps closer, fear bubbling up to my throat. I can’t lace up the back without help, and Klaus doesn’t seem quite like himself. When I had first met him, the fact that he was purebred was quite the red flag, I hadn’t wanted to put myself in a situation where I would physically be unable to disobey. However, Klaus had won me over and I decided to overlook it and in our three years together he had scarcely used his Alpha voice for anything, and always in situations where it was for my own protection. 

I begin to put the pieces together, I am in pre heat yet I hadn’t expected my heat for at least another two weeks. It takes at least a week before Klaus’s scent goes stale in our rooms because of how much time we spend here. So exactly how long have I been asleep and who is this man in front of me, because he doesn’t quite smell like the fir trees and fresh rain of my Alpha mate. “You’ve caught me Hanin, I’m not Klaus. But you see, your father in law doesn’t seem to care.”

Everything that made my suite what it was began to slip away, the cool tones and gold accents slipping from the walls. The chirping of the birds melted into rough metal clangs. My soft embroidered dress became a coarse brown sack. But the worst transition was that my beloved Klaus had devolved into the young Alpha from my meeting with Mikael several days prior. “Where the hell am I?!” The adrenaline and incredible feeling of wrongness have set into my bones, “Klaus will kill you when he finds me, no doubt he’s already on his way. That is if I don’t go feral and kill you first.”

My lips are no doubt pulled back in a heavy snarl, even if my threats are completely useless seeing as I’ve got a wrought iron collar around my neck chaining me to the wall. The alpha chuckles at me, completely underestimating any power I may have over him. “You see, my pack has many enlisted witches, I doubt even your Alpha mate has any chance at finding us. Besides, I’ll be waiting until you’re in full heat before making any move because by then you’ll be so far gone you’ll beg for just about any alpha’s attention.”

In his gloating, he had unknowingly taken several steps towards me. From his position across the cell to right in front of me. I took what would probably be my only chance at ripping this bastard's throat out, spraying blood over the walls and myself. Rummaging through his pockets I snatched the keys to my chains from his belt, only then did the adrenaline finally make an appearance, with my hands shaking so hard that the keys collided with each other. It’s only a matter of time until the betas that were no doubt guarding whatever hellhole I’m in would smell the coppery stink of the dead alpha at my feet. It took me a much too long to get the proper keys into their respective keyholes on the collar at my neck and the shackles at my hands and feet. The alpha’s blood painting my canines and mouth, dripping down my neck I stick my hand through the cell’s bars to unlock the gate. I shuffle out barefoot, at this point I’m consciously sending signal after signal to Klaus through my bond. Anger. Fear. Confusion. Hope. Love. Sadness. Distress. Distress. Distress. 

The key ring is still grasped tightly in my left hand, the suitor’s drying blood is becoming itchy and the rough-hewn stone of the dungeon is biting into my feet. I pull the sword from the dead alpha’s scabbard, left alone on a chair outside my cell. At least I can defend myself with much more accuracy with a sword that I can with my teeth, but I’m weak with the hormones of pre heat running through me. I move forward, finding stairs, it seems that I’m not in a dungeon but in a tower, surely I’ll find a cutout in the stone somewhere. The stone cuts into my feet, and I’m leaving a very obvious trail of slick and blood behind me. I’m two heartbeats away from going feral and the only person who can bring me back then will be Klaus. 

The tower shakes, and I’m thrown to the wall. The sword slips from hands, as do the keys. Both fall several steps below me, and as I finally look away from the floor, no longer concentrating on the placement of my feet on the spiraling staircase do I notice the opening in the stone. I scramble to the glorified window to see outside and watch the tower’s small guard attempt to fight off the black and gold uniforms of the imperial army. But if the suitor alpha said that Mikael had approved of my kidnapping then why is the imperial army here? 


	5. Chapter 5

I need to get out of here as fast as possible, I want the blood off of me and the comfort of my silks and furs. I want Klaus and I want to know how the fuck I got in this situation because all I can remember is the crystal at lunch with my mate and the way the sun glistened on the roast before Mikael gave a toast. The scuffle outside means there’s probably only a couple beta guards at the very bottom of the tower, which also means that I can get out of here even on my unsteady feet. 

I use the leverage of the wall to pull myself back up, stumbling down the next couple steps to grasp at the sword and the keys that I dropped. Because of the spiraling nature of the stairs, they didn’t slide all the way down, and rather sank to the walls. My head is growing heavier by the step and the sounds of battle become more and more muffled. All I can smell is copper and death. Reaching out through my bond, Klaus seems absent. Either because he has shut off his side to protect me from the gore of battle or because he is dead. I’d like to believe that it is the former and not dwell on the latter. 

I’ve reached the bottom, large wooden doors just sixty paces ahead of me. Blocking me are three guards, hesitant to attack a pureblood omega on the cusp of heat. I have no such qualms, I’ve tied the keyring to my clothes, leaving both hands free to grip at the sword. My eyes must have shifted to red at this point, pulling my lips back in a terrifying snarl, and as much speed and power my adrenaline can lend me I rush forward. 

I slash across the torso of the first beta, thanking Klaus for having taught me basic swordsmanship, and he drops to the ground. The other two betas have decided that I’m not worth the caution and run towards me. I drop to the ground to run the blade over the back of the first one’s ankles, cutting his Achilles tendons and eliminating any ability he has to run. The last one turns around in response to his partner’s injury and is caught off guard long enough for me to run the sword through his chest. He falls as well, coughing up blood. I cannot pull the sword back out, so I take the beta’s dagger to slit the throat of the second beta, ensuring that he is dead. 

I’m not sure if there are more guards, but they are sure to come quickly after the cries of their fellow betas. I fumble with the keyring on my tunic to open the thick wooden door now splattered with blood. My sense of smell is overwhelmed with the essence of four persons. The door slides open to the mess of the battlefield. I step out into the chaos, mud is indistinguishable from blood, bare feet and legs as the only thing covering me is a short tunic. My hair is no longer in braids, and the blood around my mouth and down my throat has completely dried. It seems as if the tower’s guards have been completely decimated, but if we are in the suitor alpha’s territory then no doubt we could be surrounded at any minute. 

It is just the imperial army now, running swords through the rebel’s chest to ensure their deaths. The adrenaline in my veins is now completely used up, I drop to my knees out of exhaustion. My eyes have probably turned back to their normal soft hazel and I let out a loud omega distress call. Just as my body begins to lose its form and I fall completely to the ground I see a faint familiar figure and my sight then blackens completely. 

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Everything feels like it's been wrapped in cloth three times over. Moving takes immense effort and causes incredible pain. I don’t want to open my eyes but I know that it’s time to wake. 

My tongue slides out to soothe the cracking on my lips and my eyes flutter open only to close immediately. It’s bright. Too bright. Making a sound is too difficult. I just want to go back to sleep. Breathing feels like someone has put a bag of sand on my chest. But at least I’m in my own bed, dressed in silk instead of a roughly woven sack. 

“Hanin? My love, are you awake?”  _ Is that...Klaus? Or am I in another nightmare?  _ I can smell fir and freshly fallen rain. I can feel the footsteps of my mate. It feels more like Klaus than anything else, but I don’t want to be tricked again. 

“Hurry and close the curtains, it’s likely too bright for her!” I don’t know who that is. I can’t smell anything except Klaus. I want Klaus. I just want to feel safe again. “Hanin dear, open your eyes, my love.”

That is all the encouragement I need. I pull a ragged breath through and force my eyelids to open. I can’t see anything clearly, but I can make out the same silhouette I saw before I passed out on the battlefield. The longer I am awake, the easier it is to keep myself aware. I blink once. Twice. Three times. Only then does the room around me become clear, I shift my eyes back to the man by my bedside.  _ Klaus _ . 

“Don’t try and speak, you exhausted your body back in that noble’s territory. Killing four men, now I know for sure that I’ve trained you well.” Klaus had a strange expression on his face, loving and yet so very sad, “I felt every emotion you sent through the bond, consciously or not. I’m so sorry I shut off my side, I didn’t want my own distress and bloodlust to add to the fear you already felt. I’m proud of you my dear Mercy. I’m proud of your strength and your willpower.”

He motions to the healers in the room and they help to prop me up against pillows. I’m given small sips of water to wet my throat. My hair has been braided again and furs line the blankets on the bed. Everything smells overwhelmingly of Klaus, he must have scented me to create such a feeling of safety. “What happened?” I croak out. 

Klaus brushes my cheek while his other hand rubs small doodles into my forearm. “We had gone for lunch after our meeting with Elijah, discussing our plans should his coronation go awry. Mikael held a toast, announcing the movement of our armies north. We all drank, glancing at one another to confirm a meeting later that evening to dismiss the armies from their duties and to come back home, depleted as they were from our recent policing of skirmishes at the southern border.” 

He glances at me to make sure I’m following along, it seems I’ve woken up several times only to nod off again. “Anyways, it seems that someone had slipped poison into Mikael’s drink. His throat closed up and he fell to the ground dead. It caused a righteous uproar. Everyone pointing fingers at everyone. Elijah managed to settle everyone down but it seemed that many of our drinks had some substance in them. Not poison, but a sedative.” 

No wonder I couldn’t remember anything after the toast. I couldn’t help but interrupt, “How was I taken, Klaus?” I whispered out. 

His eyes filled with regret, and he quickly averted his gaze from mine. “By the time everyone settled down, it was obvious it was because more than half of us had fallen back in chairs fast asleep. I’m not sure what happened after, but according to some loyalist guards, a small group of servants who were disguised among our normal staff carried you out of the palace. We’re honestly not quite sure how it happened. We tested all the glasses later and found those who weren’t dosed had left the palace as well.”

The explanation Klaus gave me felt inadequate, but I was tired again. I could always ask questions later. My eyelids feel heavier and heavier and I place my hand over Klaus’s with much difficulty. The fatigue has seeped into my very bones. Klaus looks back at me, gazing into my eyes, no doubt waiting for what I have to say, “I’m quite tired darling, I think I’m going to go back to sleep.” 

He smiles, even with sadness in his eyes. He leans forward, holding the sides of my head in both his hands as he kisses my temple. As he stands he says, “Of course, I don’t want to impede on your healing process. Hopefully, once you’re better, your heat cycle will return back to normal as well.”

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It’s late, evening maybe. I feel like someone has dropped me in a time machine and left it running. Disoriented and with the taste of something dead in my mouth, I think I need to get up and go to the bathroom. I shift, rubbing the sleep from my eyes. My head is pounding, I really need a drink of water. At least the staff left the candles burning. 

I must have made a lot more noise than I thought I did while moving around in bed and trying to get up. The office doors swing open and Klaus is standing in the doorway. He’s got stubble on his jaw, and his hair is all over the place. It doesn’t really seem like he’s been taking care of himself. The shadows from the flickering candle flames draw long shadows on his face, creating hollows where there has never been anything but fullness. 

“How do you feel, my love? Do you remember our conversation?” He’s moved from the doorway to my side of the bed. Hands outstretched and ready to help me move from the bed to the bathroom. His hands settle on me, one holding my hand and the other snaking around my waist to ground me. He presses a kiss to the crown of my head and helps me take the ten steps to the bathroom door. 

“The conversation is hazy, but I think I remember the most important parts. We can discuss more later, I just want to freshen up.” His eyes prod me for more information, asking if I need help with anything else. I smile at him, grateful for his protection, happy that he has taken care of me and helped nurse me back to health. I remember I was incredibly distressed and traumatized with the aftermath of my kidnapping, the peace I received in my long sleep was no doubt because of Klaus. 

I splash water on my face, washing away the layers of sleep and the aftereffects of a long healing process. I’m shaky on my feet still, but more grounded and independent in my stance than I have been for possibly several weeks. I still haven’t been able to calculate exactly how long it’s been since the last lunch that I remember and since I woke in the tower. 

Reaching the brass knob of the door, letting the coolness of the metal sink into the heat of my hand I open the door to face my mate. Seeing him after finally having reality settle in my mind shakes something in my core. Any grace and decor I had held up til now completely slides off my body. My feet move without my notice, faster and faster until I reach him. His arms open, ready to embrace me and I fall onto his lap with little effort. Burying my face in the space between his neck and his shoulder I finally fall apart. Hands fisting his linen shirt, creating wrinkles from it’s blank canvas and tears slipping down my cheeks painting a scene that I can barely put in words.    


“I was terrified Klaus,” his arms wrap around me, pulling me as tightly to him as possible, “I didn’t know where I was, and the magic they used made him look like you.” 

The tears make my words watery and choked, “I noticed that he smelled...off. Similar but different.” 

Recounting my experiences makes the story more real, and it forces a pang in my heart that I could ever be tricked as I had, “I broke the spell somehow, and when he came close enough to me I-”

Klaus cuts me off with a kiss, the guilt in his eyes evident and heavy bags proving his sleepless nights, “I’m so sorry, I promised you that I would always protect you and that no one, NO ONE, would ever be able to harm you. I feel inadequate as your protector, as your alpha. I know you feel as if you’ve somehow betrayed me, but I feel anything but, I won’t force you to relive such a traumatic event just for my sake.”

We gaze into each other’s eyes, tears evident and guilt present. I take a deep breath, wiping the tears from under his eyes, “I want you to know what happened Klaus. I want you to know what I went through so you know how hard I fought to get back to you. I want you to feel sure of yourself, and I want you to know that I want you and I will always want you.”

He sucks in a breath, after all these years he still believes deep down that I don’t love him truly. Even an alpha like him with his status, he’s insecure. He’s flawed. But those things make him shine far beyond any other alpha that has courted me. His ability to acknowledge his faults, at least to his mate if not anyone else is enough for me. That he apologizes for his wrongdoings to me if not anyone else is enough for me.

“So when that bastard alpha underestimated me so severely that he stood right before me I ripped his throat out with my teeth,” pride glistens in Klaus’s eyes at the ruthlessness I displayed when I was cornered, “I think the raging hormones of pre heat added to the heavy distress at the lack of my mate gave me courage and strength. I took his sword and keys to get myself out of there. I don’t know what he would have done to me had I not killed him. But at the same time, you were outside fighting the guard. So I’m sure you would have found me regardless.”

Klaus kisses away the remaining tears on my cheeks, a smile now evident on his face, “When you walked out the tower gate, bloody but alive, my heart swelled. We were so worried that you had been forcefully claimed over my mark, or that you were broken beyond our help. The omega calls you let out stopped the army in their tracks, Elijah and I were the only ones still moving.”

It’s obvious there’s confusion written all over my face, so he begins to backtrack, “The call you let out was heavy with distress and pain. Many of the men in the army are alphas and betas, yet you know how they can be when dealing with cornered omegas in villages. But the call you let out was so powerful and concentrated the only people who could move to help you were family and your mate. It speaks to your raw power, my love.”

Omega calls were meant to draw the attention of one’s mate, never had I heard that it had forced other alphas to stop in their tracks. That was very similar to the effects of a pureblood, or apex, alpha’s orders. I’ve never heard of an omega having that kind of power over the more powerful dynamics, regardless, I’m happy that I’m home. I let out a sigh, that’s enough about kidnapping for now, “So is Mikael dead? Has Elijah taken the throne, or were you forced to take steps to a coup?” 

It’s clear that I’ve missed a great deal of time, the wind moving past the window causing the trees to smack into the glass. Grand displays of lightning and thunder are dancing just beyond the walls of our suite as the rain pitter-patters down. We’ve continued beyond late spring that I remember and into early fall. Klaus nudges my head to face him rather than the window, creating eye contact once again, “Mikael was killed at the lunch, poisoned. We think it was his own doing. We’re not quite sure what he was up to, but it’s clear he had a loyalist faction of nobles on his side. He was quite insane by the end. Kol and Finn set out to test the loyalties of various nobles along the countryside and far reaches of our border. Rebekah and Freya have teamed up for once and have set out to known rebel territories to check the magic if we can sway the witches back to our side our victory is ensured. However, Elijah’s coronation is set for the coming week.”

It seems much has happened since I went to sleep, but such is the court. It's now almost dinner time, punctuated with a light knock at the door.

“Come in!” Klaus’s sudden increase in volume causes me to jump and he chuckles, eyes crinkling in amusement. The door to our suite opens and a young servant curtsies before announcing that dinner is being held and that we are expected. 

“Ah yes, send word that we will be attending and that our Lady Hanin will be present as well,” at that Klaus pulls another kiss from me and the servant disappears from behind leaving with Klaus’s confirmation. I push away from him lightheartedly, “Klaus I need to dress! I can’t go in pajamas!” 

He laughs, “You know I rather like you in my shirts. I’ve been dressing you in my clothes since you got back, hoping the scent would soothe you. But I don’t think I’m ready to let you take them off,” He lets out a playful growl, grabbing at my hips. 

Giggles bubble out of my chest as he tickles me, forcing me breathless, “Stop it, Klaus! Help me dress!” I pout at him, hoping to win him over. Peppering kisses on his cheeks and his neck. Finally, he gets up, helping me off his lap and slowly unbuttoning his shirt off of me leaving me in just underwear in front of him. 


End file.
